High speed trim machine for blown plastic articles

ABSTRACT

This disclosure proposes a method and apparatus for removing integral flash from a blown plastic article. The articles are serially fed to and retained in pockets formed at the peripheries of continuously rotating, axially spaced plates, the article flash portions projecting laterally beyond the plates. The articles are cammed into and out of the retention pockets, and a cam actuated locking mechanism is utilized to retain the articles in the pockets against movement relative to the plates. An individual flash-severing mechanism advances into contact with the flash of each article and rotates relative to the flash to sever it from the article. In the event that the article is a bottle or the like having a flash which completely closes the neck or finish of the bottle, an initial flash severing is accomplished to open the end of the finish prior to advancement of the individual flash-severing mechanism. The mechanism is entirely mechanically actuated by cams and the like, and no limit switches or other sequence-controlling mechanism are necessary.

United States Patent Criss et al.

[54] HIGH SPEED TRIM MACHINE FOR BLOWN PLASTIC ARTICLES [72] Inventors: Donald H. Criss; Robert F. Kontz, both of Toledo, Ohio [73] Assignee: Owens-Illinois, Inc.

[22] Filed: Mar. 9, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 17,824

[52] US. Cl ..82/82, 82/47, 82/48, 82/101 [51] Int. Cl. ..B23b 5/14, 1323b 1/00 [58] Field of Search ..82/46, 47, 48, 57, 58, 82,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,400,620 9/1968 Armburster et al ..82/101 X 1,934,660 11/1933 Fairchild..L ..82/46 1,006,574 10/1911 Lorenz ..82/82 2,232,021 2/1941 Callcson et al. .82/58 X 3,175,439 3/1965 Russell et a1 ..83/52 1,807,671 6/1931 Phelps ....82/58 3,584,338 6/1971 Fischer et al. ..18/5

[ 51 May 2, 1972 FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [57] ABSTRACT This disclosure proposes a method and apparatus for removing integral flash from a blown plastic article. The articles are serially fed to and retained in pockets formed at the peripheries of continuously rotating, axially spaced plates, the article flash portions projecting laterally beyond the plates. The articles are cammed into and out of the retention pockets, and a cam actuated locking mechanism is utilized to retain the articles in the pockets against movement relative to the plates. An individual flash'severing mechanism advances into contact with the flash of each article and rotates relative to the flash to sever it from the article. In the event that the article is a bottle or the like having a flash which completely closes the neck or finish of the bottle, an initial flash severing is accomplished to open the end of the finish prior to advancement of the individual flash-severing mechanism. The mechanism is entirely mechanically actuated by cams and the like, and no limit switches or other sequence-controlling mechanism are necessary.

18 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures uunnnnnnnl'vll tftittitinlillllnl'l'll'nluu 11 11 II 111 II m n PATENTEUMAY 2:912 3,659,486

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INVEN'I'OKS DONALD H. CRISS. R ERT E' KONTZ.

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PATENTED 2 I 2 Sum 6 7 3,659,486

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INVIiI'WTURS DONALD H. CR/SS. ROBERT F KONTZ.

ATT'YS.

HIGH SPEED TRIM MACHINE FOR BLOWN PLASTIC ARTICLES RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is related to Ser. No. 835,09l, filed June 20, 1969, in the name of Donald H. Criss and Erwin P. Pollitt, in the sense that the apparatus and method of the present invention is intended primarily to remove integral flash from bottles formed in accordance with the apparatus and method of said application Ser. No. 835,091.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the development of the high speed blow molding machine disclosed in the above-identified application Ser. No. 835,091 it became apparent that problems would be encountered in the development of a flash-trimming apparatus and method capable of trimming the blown articles at a rate consistent with the rate at which the articles are blown. Consequently, the development of a high speed trim machine became necessary. Of course, the resultant trim machine is capable of trimming articles produced by other methods and by other ap paratus, but the impetus to the development was primarily self-generated within the organization of applicants assignee.

In addition to the necessary speed of operation to keep up with the high speed forming machine, an additional problem arose because of the inflation of a complete closed bubble interiorly of a mold. Thus the flash, together with the desired article, formed a closed bubble. Where the article is a bottle or other container having a neck or finish which must be trimmed to an exact final configuration, it is necessary to first remove a portion of the flash to accommodate access to the bottle neck or finish. Thus, sequential rough-cutting and finalcutting is necessary.

Further, existing flash-removal apparatus utilizes feeler gauges, limit switch controls, and other intennittently operating mechanisms to initiate and carry out various steps of the flash removal operation. Such devices are not absolutely foolproof, such devices necessarily require time for their actuation, and a time lag always ensues prior to the initiation of the next step. While it is true that these time lags are extremely short, they still add up to an appreciable amount of time where a series of operations are to be carried out. When one is dealing with the manufacture of blown articles at a rate in the order of 60 per minute, intermittently operated, sequentially actuated trimming apparatus and procedures are to avoided, if possible.

The machine of the present invention is continuous in operation, there is no article transfer, cutter transfer, shuttle or indexing operation. No limit switches or other sequence control operations are required. The articles are simply fed into a rotatable retention structure, rotated with the structure and removed from the rotatable structure automatically, and the trimming operation is carried out as the articles travel smoothly and continuously through this rotary movement. The operations of article insertion into and article removal from the apparatus, the locking of the articles into position to be trimmed, the relative movement of the trimming mechanism into and out of engagement with the article and the removal of the trimmed flash are all carried out by a simple camming arrangement working from a common axis of rotation. The resultant operation is smooth, rapid, and virtually fool-proof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The trim machine of the present invention as disclosed herein includes a shaft and a pair of parallel plates fixed to the shaft in axially spaced relation for rotation in a single direction. These plates are provided with a series of identical peripherally spaced pockets into which the articles to be trimmed are to be placed. A very simple feeding structure is provided consisting of a pair of spaced, fixed side sheets between which the plates rotate, the side sheets having inlet and outlet apertures and cumming surfaces for cooperation with the plates for moving the bottles radially of the plates into and out of the pockets.

The pocket-carrying plates are provided with radial projections which cooperate with the cam surfaces of the side sheets for moving the bottles into and out of the pockets. When the articles are placed in the pockets, they are retained against movement relative to the pocket-defining plates by locking means which are cam actuated into peripheral engagement with the articles in proximity to the flash to be removed.

Once the articles are locked to the plate, a trimming operation can be carried out by means of a cutter for each article. The individual cutters are rotatable with the pocket-defining plates and are rotatable relative thereto. The cutter means are actuated into engagement with the article and are actuated for cutting movement by cam means and gear means, respectively, co-axial with the support shaft from the pocket-defining plates,

In the event that the article requires the removal of flash preparatory to the final flash removal by the cutter means, a fixed saw or similar rough-cut flash-removing mechanism is interposed in the path of the articles as the articles rotate with the pocket-defining plates.

Thus, it will be seen that the apparatus of the present invention is capable of carrying out the following sequential steps:

1. The articles with integral flash are positioned adjacent the periphery of the pocket-defining plates,

2. The articles are cammed radially inwardly relative to the plates and into the pockets,

3. The articles with the integral flash are locked to the plates against relative movement,

4. The flash is removed by flash-removing mechanism individual to each pocket and axially and rotationally displaced relative to the individual article,

5. The articles are unlocked for movement relative to the plates, and

6. The articles are cammed radially outwardly from the pockets and are removed from the location of the plates.

It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide a new and novel flash-trimming device for blown plastic articles which is capable of operating at high speeds, which is entirely mechanically actuated, and which is capable of carrying out sequential flash removal operations, if such are necessary.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a flash-removal apparatus for plastic articles wherein the articles are retained in peripherally spaced pockets in a rotatable structure which is continuously movable as various flashremoving operations are carried out.

It is a further important object of this invention to provide a method of removing flash from a blown plastic article by placing the article in a pocket on a rotatable carrying element, rotating the carrying element continuously toward an article remov'a'l station, and removing the flash prior to the attainment of the article removal station.

Yet another, and no less important object of the present invention is the provision of a flash-removing apparatus for blown plastic articles wherein a pair of article-carrying rotatable plates are provided; the articles being positioned on the plates, retained on the plates, a flash-removal operation carried out, and the articles removed from the plates as the plates rotate continuously and the operations are carried out as a consequence of plate rotation.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

ON THE DRAWINGS FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken along the plane 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the plane 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view, with parts shown in elevation, taken along the plane 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 5 illustrating the severing operation being carried out on a plastic bottle;

FIG. 7 is a development view similar to FIG. 6 illustrating the cutting element of adifferent adjusted position;

FIG. 8 is a schematic development view of the actuating cam for the neck ring gripping assembly;

FIG. 9 is a development view similar to FIG. 8 but illustrating the spindle travel cam; and

FIG. 10 is a developed view similar to FIG. 9 but illustrating the trim roller cam;

' FIG. 11 is a schematic view illustrating the operation of the device and the carrying out of the method of the present invention.

AS SHOWN ON THE DRAWINGS .In FIG. 1, reference numeral refers generally to an apparatus of the present invention.

SUPPORT AND SHAFT STRUCTURE As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the apparatus 20 comprises a horizontally extending fixed shaft 21 supported on vertical standards 22, and 23. A drive sprocket'26 formed peripherally of a plate 100, rotates on the shaft 21 and is driven by a motor M. This sprocket 26, as will be hereafter more fully explained, provides the entire motive power for all of the functions of the present apparatus.

Secured to the standard 22 adjacent one end of the shaft is an upwardly and outwardly extending support column 27 the upper end of which carries a support bracket 28.

ARTICLE INSERTION, CARRYING AND REMOVAL STRUCTURE As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the support bracket 28 carries a pair of spaced, identical, fixed side sheets 31, 32. These side sheets are quadrant-shaped and project from the bracket 28 toward the shaft 21, but terminate short of the shaft. Each such plate. 31, 32 includes a bottle inlet aperture 33 communicating with an inlet tub 34 through which bottles 30 are supplied to the machine.

The term bottle encompasses other blown plastic articles, but is used simply for ease of reference. The bottles 30, as best shown in FIG. 6, are provided with bottom portions 30a, the lower extremity of which provides a bottle support surface, a generally cylindrical bottle body portion 3012, a threaded peripheral finish portion 300 of somewhat reduced diameter, and inwardly projecting radial sealing lip 30d, and an elongated, axially projecting flattened flash portion 30e which is formed as a consequence of the bottle manufacturing process.

The bottles are inserted into the tube 34, preferably in individual sequence, with their bottom ends 30a leading, so that the bottles are fed, as by gravity, to their positions shown in FIG. 1. The flattened end 30a projects into the tube 34 when the bottom end 30a of the bottle 30 abuts a stop sheet 35 positioned adjacent the side sheet 32 to stop the motion of the bottle through the tube and in a leftward direction as illustrated in FIG. 1. The tube 34 has one side thereof cut away, as at 36, so that the bottle 30 can move with the apparatus (as to be later described) despite the presence of the flash extension 30e on the bottle 30.

Mounted on the shaft 21 for rotation thereabout by the motor M are a pair of side plates 40, best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. These plates 40 are parallel to one another and are spaced by a collar 41 mounted on the shaft. Since the plates 40 are identical, the description of one will suffice.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, each plate 40 is provided with a plurality of peripheral pockets 42, six such pockets being provided in the illustrated embodiment. These pockets 42 have arcutate bottom walls 43 and generally radial leading edges 44, i.e. the edge 44 is the leading edge of the pocket 42 when considered in connection with the direction of rotation of the plate 40 as per the directional arrow 45 of FIG. 2, and generally radial trailing edges 46 merging abruptbly into angularly rearwardly deflecting trailing extremities 47 which terminate, as at 48, at a radial distance substantially outwardly from the bottom 43 of the pocket 42. This tip or extremity 48 then blends through an arcuate section 49 smoothly back into the exterior periphery 50 of the plate 40.

The plurality of pockets 42 thus provided at theperiphery of the plates 40 become radially aligned with the bottle inlet aperture 33 in each of the side sheets 31, 32 as illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawings, and the trailing edge 46 of the plate 40 is of an extent such that it intercepts the aperture 33 and contacts a bottle 30 positioned in the apertures 33. As the plates 40 rotate in the direction of directional arrow 45 (clockwise as viewed in FIG. 2), the trailing edge 46 contacts the bottle and moves the bottle relative to the apertures 33. The apertures 33, at the side sheets 31, 32, blend into cam surfaces 51, 52 which are inclined downwardly toward the shaft 21 and toward the bottom 43 of the pocket 42 associated with the trailing edge 46 in contact with the bottle in the apertures 33. Consequently, as the bottle is contact by the trailing edge 46, it is moved along the cam surfaces 51, 52 radially inwardly toward the shaft 21 and into the pocket 42. The forward extremity of the cam surface 51 is arcuate and generally concentrio with the shaft 21, as at 53, to firmly seat and retain the bottle in the pocket 42 without any further camming action.

It will also be noted from FIG. 2 that the side sheets 31, 32 also are provided with additional cam surfaces 55, 56 which are interposed in the path of each pocket 42 as it approaches the quadrant-shaped side sheets 31, 32. The cam surface 56 will contact the bottle retained in the adjacent pocket 42 and continued rotation of the plates 40 will cause the bottle to move up the surface 56 to an outlet aperture 57 in each of the side sheets 31, 32. This aperture 57 is aligned with a larger, ejection chute 58 formed in the side sheet 35. A bottle 30 is illustrated in dotted outline in FIG. 1 leaving the ejection chute 58. Ejection through the chute 58 is preferably accomplished by simply direction an air blast through the aligned apertures 57 and 58 to blow the bottles laterally to the left as viewed in FIG. 1.

Thus, it will be seen that the side sheets 31, 32 provide means (apertures 33) whereby bottles are positioned inthe rotational path of the side plates 40. The rotation of the side plates 40 brings the bottle into contact with the trailing edge 46 of each notch 42, in turn, and the cam surfaces 51, 52 guide the bottle into the pocket 42 by displacing the bottle radially inwardly of the shaft 21. At the outlet side of the machine, the surfaces 55, 56 of the side sheets 31, 32 perform precisely the same function in intercepting the bottle and urging the bottle upwardly and radially outwardly of the shaft 28 into the apertures 37 and into alignment with the outlet chute 58, from which the bottle can be removed. The extended trailing edge 47 adjacent each notch 42 in the plates 40 insures the upward movement of the bottle and theradial outward movement of the bottle to its removal position.

ARTICLE RETENTION STRUCTURE FIxedIy mounted on the shaft 21 for rotation with the plates 40 and extending radially to the shaftis a lock plate 60, this plate being parallel to the pocket-defining plates 40. This plate 60 (as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) has a plurality of arcuate recesses 61 opening onto the periphery of the plate 60, which recesses 6l.are aligned with the pockets 42 of the plates 40. Radially inwardly from each of the recesses 61, the plate 60 carries a pivot pin 63 on which is mounted a pair of locking levers 64 which are identical, but mirror images of one another. Each such locking lever has an elongated, outwardly extending locking arm 65 and a relatively shorter inwardly projecting actuating arm 66. The outer ends 65 of the levers 64 carry locking pads 67 adapted to engage that portion of the bottle 30 projecting beyond the adjacent plate 40.

As best shown in FIG. 6, the locking pads 67 embrace the desired finish portion 30c of the bottle 30. Tension springs 68 interconnect the outer lever portions 65 and the plate 60 to urge the locking pads 67 to their open positions as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, at which open positions the inner ends 66 of the levers 64 are in proximity to one another.

To actuate the arms 64 to their closed, or locking, positions against the bias of the springs 68, an actuating mechanism shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings is utilized. This locking mechanism includes an elongated actuating rod 70 having a remote end 71 projecting through a pilot aperture 72 in the plate 40 and through a guide block 73 abutting the plate 40 and interposed between the plates 40 and 60 (FIG. 1).

The rod 70 has a central wedge portion 75 provided with tapered sides 76 projecting through an aperture 77 in the plate 60 and contacting chamfered surfaces 78 formed at the confronting extremities of the arms 66 for the levers 64. Upon actuation of the rod 70 toward the plate 40, the wedge surfaces 76 separate the locking arm extremities 66 to bring the locking pads 67 into contact with the bottle located in the notches 42. Thus, for locking the bottle in position, it is only necessary to move the rod 70 axially.

Such axial movement or displacement of the rod 70 is carried out by the mechanism illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings. Here it will be seen that a reaction plate 79 is mounted on a collar 80 co-rotatable with the sprocket 26 to confine a compression spring 81 against a reaction washer 82 mounted on the rod 70. The extremity 83 of the rod 70 is provided with a tenninal clevis 84 mounting a rollable cam follower 85 for contact with the inclined surface 86 of a cam 87 mounted on the shaft 21 concentric with the shaft 21 and fixed against rotation. The cam 87 is illustrated in FIG. 8 of the drawings. From this Figure, it will be seen that the cam is provided with an axially depressed portion 87a and, when the follower 85 contacts this portion of the cam, the spring 8] displaces the rod 70 to the right, so that the wedge surfaces 76 are retracted relative to the arm surfaces 77 and the springs 68 move the chuck lever arms 64 to their retracted positions of FIG. 3. The cam has a rising or insertion portion 87b which, when traversed by the follower 85 displaces the rod 70 to the left, as viewed in FIG. 1. Such displacement elevates the wedge 75 as illustrated in FIG. 4, forcing the wedge surfaces 76 into contact with the locking arm surfaces 78, separating the arms 66 and moving the locking pads to their closed position of FIG. 3. The rising portion of this cam portion 87b merges into the raised cam portion 87c at which the rod 70 is retained in its leftward position of FIG. 1, and the chuck is maintained locked. Displacement of the rod 70 to the right in FIG. 1 to release the lock is accomplished as the cam follower 85 traverses a withdrawal slope portion of the cam 87d.

From a comparison of FIGS. 2 and 8, it will be seen that the wedge insertion and locking of the bottle to the adjacent plate 40 is carried out as the bottle is in contact with the arcuate cam surface 53 of the plate 32, i.e. the bottle is fully bottomed in the recess 42 and is retained therein by the surface 53. Further, it will be noted that the wedge is displaced to the right to release the gripper jaws 67 prior to contact between the cam surface 56 of the plate 32 with the bottle. Preferably, the cam surface 55 is extended downwardly so that it retains the bottle fully in the notch 42 as the gripper jaws are released from contact with the bottle.

INITIAL FLASH REMOVAL STRUCTURE Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be noted that a rotatable saw 90 power driven by suitable means, e.g. by drive belt 91 and motor 92, is supported on a fixed post 93 adjacent the plates 40 and in the path of movement of the bottles 30 as they are carried arcuately by the plates. This saw 90 is continuously driven and, as the plates carry the bottles 30 (locked by the locking mechanism of FIGS. 3 and 4) past the saw 90, the closed flash portion 30e is removed from the bottle 30.

After this operation, the bottle 30 is in the condition illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings, i.e. the radial sealing lip 30d has a relatively short projection 30f projecting therebeyond, and this relatively short annular projection 30f provides ingress into the interior of the container 30.

ANNULAR FLASH REMOVAL STRUCTURE After removal of the initial closed flash portion 30e, the bottle 30 is in the condition illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 6. It is now necessary to remove the flash portions 30d and 30f while leaving an inwardly facing seal flange portion 30g of predetermined, accurately cut radial extent. The bottle 30 is accurately positioned and held by the chuck pads 67.

Turning to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the shaft 21 carries a pair of radial, axially spaced, parallel support plates joined by braces 101. One such plate 100 conveniently is utilized to carry the sprocket 26. Such plates 100 carry, adjacent their outer peripheries, a plurality of annular bearings 102 which are arranged in pairs to journal therein rotatable, generally cylindrical carriers 103. These carriers 103 are freely rotatable about axes parallel to the axis of the shaft 21 and axially aligned with the longitudinal axes of the bottles 30 secured to the plates 40. Thus, the plates 40 and the plates 100 co-rotate and carry the bottles 30 and the carriers 103 in synchronized alignment during such rotation.

From FIG. 5, the configuration of the carrier 103 can be seen. The carrier has a cylindrical inner bore 104 which is axially splined, and the carrier carries an exterior pinion 105 corotatable with the carrier. The pinion 105 meshes with a sun gear 106 fixed to the shaft 21 or alternatively, relatively rotationable independently of the shaft for a purpose to be later described,

Projecting axially through the bore 104 of the carrier 103 is a tubular spindle 110 which is exteriorly splined at 111 to be co-rotatable with the carrier 103. Surrounding spindle cam follower block 113 on the spindle for axial co-movement, but relative rotation. A spindle cam follower 114 is carried by the block 113 at the inner extremity thereof.

To provide overload protection, the block 113 is slidable on the spindle 110 between a fixed stop block and a compression spring 121 bottomed between the block 113 and a stop washer 122. However, essentially the follower block 113 and the spindle 110 are axially co-movable.

The follower 114 contacts a fixed arcuate cam surface provided by a cylindrical cam element 115 having a complete peripheral groove 116 bridged by grooved bridge plate 117 welded to the interior periphery of element 115. The cam element 115 is concentric with the shaft 21, and rotation of the plates 100 and the spindle 110 therewith will axially advance and retract the spindle 110 as the follower 114 traverses the fixed cam surface provided by the peripheral groove 116. A slide plate 118 welded to one of the radial carrier plates 100 slidably abuts the follower block 113 to prevent rotation of the block with the spindle 110 while accommodating sliding of the block 113 with the spindle as the follower 114 traverses the cam surface.

The contour of the cam surface provided by the groove 116 is shown in FIG. 9. The groove 116 has a first retract portion 116a at which the spindle 110 is in its furtherest right hand position (further to the right than shown in FIGS. 1 and 5), a spindle-advancing portion 116b, a spindle-in portion 1166 (at which the spindle 110 is in its position shown in FIGS. 1 and 5), and a spindle-retracting portion 116d. The correlation of these portions of the cam surface with other portions of the mechanism will be hereinafter described in detail.

The forward or free end of the spindle 110 carries a cutter abutment block which is generally cylindrical in shape and which is fixed to the spindle 110 for co-movement both axially and rotationally. This block 125 has a reduced diameter pilot portion 126 projecting into the bore 127 of the spindle, an axial bore 128 registering with the spindle bore 127, a radial slot 129 opening onto the bore 12.8,and an integral laterally projecting abutment stud 130 opposite the slot 129. I

Projecting axially through the bores 127, 128 is an elongated cylindrical cutter actuating rod 131 axially displaceable relative to the spindle 110 and abutment 130. The free end of the rod 131 (that end closet to the abutment 130) is pivoted at 132 to a cutter link 133 which in turn, is pivoted at 134 to a cutter arm 135 which is medially pivoted at 136 to the abutment block 125. The cantilevered free end of cutterarrn 135 carries a freely rotatable cutter element 137 having a peripheral sharpened cutting edge 138 swingable into and out of cutting relation with a grooved, freely rotatable backing roller 140 mounted on the radial abutment stud 130.

The cutter element 137 and the roller 140 are moved into I and out of cutting relation by axial displacement of the actuating rod 131 between its FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 positions. When the elements are in their FIG. 7 position, the cutter 137 is axially insertable into the open end of the bottle 30 through the annular lip 30f thereof and, upon subsequent extension of the rod 131 to the left, the cutter 137 swings in the direction of arrow 139 into engagement with the inner surface of the radial sealing lip 30d into cutting relation with the roller 140, which has a peripheral groove 140a to avoid direct and undesired contact cutter-roller contact.

Upon rotation of the spindle 110, the cutter 137 and roller 140 rotationally traverse the lip 30d. Such spindle rotation occurs by virtue of engagement of the sun gear 106 and the planetating pinion 105, as the spindle 110 is rotated about the shaft 21 and the co-rotatable plates 100 rotate about the relatively fixed sun gear. If desired, the gear 106 can be reversely driven relative to the gear 105 by additional drive means (not shown) to increase the number of revolutions of the gear 105 and the spindle 110 for each rotation of the plates 100.

The actuating rod 131 is axially displaced by means of a circular cam 145 (FIG. 1) concentric with the shaft 21 and with the spindle cam 115. The edge 146 of this cam 145 is contacted by a rolling follower 147 mounted on a clevis 148 secured to a tubular carrier block 150 telescopically mounted over the adjacent end of the actuator rod 131. A compression spring 151 interposed between the clevis 148 and a stop 152 on the end of the rod 131 assures movement of the rod 131 as a consequence of the contour of cam surface 146, yet gives overload protection.

The contour of cam surface 146 is illustrated in FIG. 10.

The portion 146a, constituting the major portion of the periphery of surface 146, maintains the rod 131 retracted; portion 146k advances the rod to move the rod from its FIG. 7 to its FIG. 6 position; portion 1460 retains the rod in its advanced position; and portion 146d retracts the rod to its FIG. 7 position.

OPERATION FIG. 11 is a developed view showing the operations which take place upon a single bottle while it travels about the periphery of the plates 40. It must be remembered that these operations take place simulatneously and serially upon the plurality of bottles one to each pocket 42 on the periphery of the plates 40. I

Assuming that there are six pockets at the plate peripheries and that the rotational speed is revolutions per minute, the operations and their times are as follows:

1. A bottle 30 with its integralflash is cammed into the pocket 42 by the cam surface 51, A second.

2. As the bottle is retained in the pocket 42 by the arcuate surface 53 (FIG. 1) as the wedge 75 is inserted between the chamfered surfaces 78 (FIG. 4) by the cam surface 87b (FIG. 8), A second.

3. The bottle is locked in place by the arcuate locking pads 67 (FIG. 3) and the bottle is rotated past the saw 90 (FIG. 1) to sever the flash extremity 30a (FIG. 2), I second.

4. The bottle is advanced as the spindle 110 is inserted into the now open-ended bottle by the cam 117, and the cam follower 114 (FIG. 1), 15 second.

5. Next the rod 131 is advanced by the trim roller cam 146 to move the cutter 137 into cutting relation with the radial lip 30d in opposition to the back-up roller 140 (FIG. 6), V4 second.

6. The cutting elements 137, 140 are retained in cutting relation with the radial lip 30d by the cam portion 1460, as the spindle is retained in inserted position by the cam portion 116:: and the clamping elements are retained by the bottle as the gripping follower traverses its cam portion 870. Since the sun gear 106 is much larger than the planet pinion preferably on the order of 7 to l, the spindle and the cutting elements will revolve through more than 360" about the lip 30f to sever the same as the cutting continues. This cutting action continues for l 36 seconds.

7. Next the rod 131 is retracted to position the cutter as shown in FIG. 7, A second.

8. The spindle 110 is retracted and this operation overlaps retraction of the wedge to unlock the bottle and the first contact of the bottle with the cam removal surface 55, 56. The wedge retraction does not free the bottle to fall from its pocket 42 because of the extension 55a of the surface 55 for the purpose of bottle retention, )6 second.

9. Finally, the bottle is cammed from the pocket 42 by the surface 56 plus the rotative motion of the plates 40. The bottle is blown out of the outlet aperture 58 to the left in FIG. 1) by a blast of air. second.

The balance of the 6 second rotation time is consumed in returning the pocket into alignment with the inlet port 34.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In an apparatus for trimming flash from a plastic bottle, a support shaft, a pair of parallel plates axially spaced on said shaft for rotation in a single direction, a pocket in each of said plates, each such pocket opening onto the plate periphery, said pockets being in axial and radial alignment to cooperably receive a single bottle, means for positioning a bottle to be trimmed adjacent the peripheries of said plates, abutment surfaces on said plates adjacent the trailing edge of each pocket for engagement with the bottle to feed the bottle with integrally formed flash radially of the plates into said pockets at a first point at the periphery of said plates, means for radially removing a flash-free bottle from said pockets at a second point peripherally displaced from said first point in the direction of rotation of said plates, and flash-severing means engageable with the bottle flash as said bottle is positioned in said pockets and as the bottle is carried by said plates from said first position to said second position.

2. An apparatus defined in claim 1, with the addition of means carried by one of said plates and engageable with the bottle to secure said bottle to said one plate and in said pockets prior to engagement of said flash-severin g means with said bottle flash.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the added means includes a pair of chuck anns each medially pivoted to the plate intermediate cooperable bottle-engaging surfaces and actuating projections, means normally biasing said surfaces apart, and projection-engaging wedge means urging said chuck arms about their medial pivots against said biasing means to force said bottle-engaging surfaces into engagement with said bottle to retain the bottle in said pockets.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said flashsevering means includes a cutter spindle rotatable with said plate and also rotatable relative to said bottle carried by said plate, means for axially displacing said cutter spindle relative to said one plate and relative to said bottle, cutter means axially displaceable with said spindle and rotatable relative to the bottle with the spindle, and linkage means interconnecting said cutter means and said spindle for moving said cutter means relative to said spindle into and out of engagement with a flash portion of said bottle.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the spindle displacing means is actuated only after a bottle in said pockets has traveled from said first point past a saw effective to remove a portion only of the flash from the bottle to open one end of the bottle, the displacement of said spindle inserts the cutter means into the bottle open end, and the last named means engages the cutter means with the remainder of the bottle flash.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim I, wherein the bottle feeding means and removing means include fixed, axially spaced side sheets between which said plates rotate, said side sheets having cam surfaces cooperable with said abutment surfaces on said plates to displace bottles radially of said shaft into and out of said pockets.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said fixed side'sheets are quadrant-shaped to provide adjacent bottle feeding and removing locations at the peripheries of said plates while leaving the bottle exposed at the major portion of said peripheries of said plates for operation of said flash severing means.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the abutment surface of each plate is a radially extending cam projection located at the trailing edge of the pocket therein, which cam projections retain the bottle against the side sheet cam surfaces as the bottle moves with the plates between said side sheets.

9. In an apparatus for trimming integral finish flash from a plastic bottle, a shaft, rotatable means on said shaft for retaining a plurality of peripherally spaced bottles with their axes parallel to said shaft and their finishes with integral flash facing in one direction, carrier means co-rotatable with said rotatable means and projecting radially from said shaft and spaced axaially of said shaft from the bottle finishes, a plurality of primary flash-severing means mounted on and co-rotatable with said carrier means for movement axially of said shaft toward and away from said bottle finishes, means individually to each of said primary flash severing means for moving said flash severing means axially relative to the bottle finishes, means for sequentially and individually moving said primary flash-severing means into and out of severing relation with said bottle flash and additional flash-severing means for initially severing the flash to form an opening communcating with the bottle finish and accommodating entry of the primary flash-severing means into said opening upon movement of said primary means axially of said shaft.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said primary flash-severing means comprises concentric carrying spindle and actuator rod elements both extending parallel to said shaft and sequentially actuated to (1) insert flash-severing severing elements into said opening and (2) bring said flash-severing elements into cutting engagement with the flash adjacent said opening.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said spindle and said rod carry separate flash-severing anvil and cutter elements which are commonly rotatable relative to the bottle and the flash integral therewith.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said spindle and said actuator rod are separately displaced by individual cams and cam followers as a consequence of rotation of said carrier means.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said primary flash-severing means includes a cutter element rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of said shaft and driven by a sun gear co-axial with said shaft, and means carried by one of said plates for securing said bottle against rotation relative to said plates throughout the flash-severing operation.

14. In a method of severing flash from a bottle, the flash being integral with the finish of the bottle, the steps of placing the bottle in a carrier rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of the bottle, moving the bottle arcuately about the axis of rotation, during such movement severing a portion only of the flash to form in the flash an opening communicating with the bottle finish, inserting a cutting element through said opening and into the bottle, contacting the cutting element with the flash adjacent said opening to sever the flash from the inside of the bottle outwardly, and finally removing the flash-free bottle from the carrier.

15. In an apparatus for severing an annular waste portion surrounding an aperture in a plastic bottle or the like, a tubular spindle axially displaceable relative to the bottle, means for displacing said spindle axially, an actuating rod projecting axially of said spindle for reciprocation independently of said spindle, means for axially reciprocating said rod, means for co-rotating said spindle and said rod, and cooperable wastesevering elements carried by said spindle and said rod, displacement of said spindle and actuation of said rod positioning said elements in contact with said waste portion and rotation of said spindle and said rod moving said elements relative to said waste portion to sever the same.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the wastesevering element carried by said spindle projects radially thereof for contacting an exterior surface of said waste portion and the waste-severing element carried by said rod normally is aligned axially with the rod for insertion into the bottle but is actuated to a radially displaced severing position aligned with the spindle-carried element when the rod is actuated axially relative to the spindle.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the rodcarn'ed waste-severing element is pivoted to said spindle through an actuating lever movable upon reciprocation of said rod between an axially aligned position at which said element is insertable into and removable from said bottle and a radially offset position at which the element is in contact with said waste portion,

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the spindle is displaced and the rod is reciprocated by separate cam means, respectively.

* i i i i 

1. In an apparatus for trimming flash from a plastic bottle, a support shaft, a pair of parallel plates axially spaced on said shaft for rotation in a single direction, a pocket in each of said plates, each such pocket opening onto the plate periphery, said pockets being in axial and radial alignment to cooperably receive a single bottle, means for positioning a bottle to be trimmed adjacent the peripheries of said plates, abutment surfaces on said plates adjacent the trailing edge of each pocket for engagement with the bottle to feed the bottle with integrally formed flash radially of the plates into said pockets at a first point at the periphery of said plates, means for radially removing a flash-free bottle from said pockets at a second point peripherally displaced from said first point in the direction of rotation of said plates, and flash-severing means engageable with the bottle flash as said bottle is positioned in said pockets and as the bottle is carried by said plates from said first position to said second position.
 2. An apparatus defined in claim 1, with the addition of means carried by one of said plates and engageable with the bottle to secure said bottle to said one plate and in said pockets prior to engagement of said flash-severing means with said bottle flash.
 3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the added means includes a pair of chuck arms each medially pivoted to the plate intermediate cooperable bottle-engaging surfaces and actuating projections, means normally biasing said surfaces apart, and projection-engaging wedge means urging said chuck arms about their medial pivots against said biasing means to force said bottle-engaging surfaces into engagement with said bottle to retain the bottle in said pockets.
 4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said flash-severing means includes a cutter spindle rotatable with said plate and also rotatable relative to said bottle carried by said plate, means for axially displacing said cutter spindle relative to said one plate and relative to said bottle, cutter means axially displaceable with said spindle and rotatable relative to the bottle with the spindle, and linkage means interconnecting said cutter means and said spindle for moving said cutter means relative to said spindle into and out of engagement with a flash portion of said bottle.
 5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the spindle displacing means is actuated only after a bottle in said pockets has traveled from said first point past a saw effective to remove a portion only of the flash from the bottle to open one end of the bottle, the displacement of said spindle inserts the cutter means into the bottle open end, and the last named means engages the cutter means with the remainder of the bottle flash.
 6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the bottle feeding means and removing means include fixed, axially spaced side sheets between which said plates rotate, said side sheets having cam surfaces cooperable with said abutment surfaces on said plates to displace bottles radially of said shaft into and out of said pockets.
 7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said fixed side sheets are quadrant-shaped to provide adjacent bottle feeding and removing locations at the peripheries of said plates while leaving the bottle exposed at the major portion of said peripheries of said plates for operation of said flash severing means.
 8. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the abutment surface of each plate is a radially extending cam projection located at the trailing edgE of the pocket therein, which cam projections retain the bottle against the side sheet cam surfaces as the bottle moves with the plates between said side sheets.
 9. In an apparatus for trimming integral finish flash from a plastic bottle, a shaft, rotatable means on said shaft for retaining a plurality of peripherally spaced bottles with their axes parallel to said shaft and their finishes with integral flash facing in one direction, carrier means co-rotatable with said rotatable means and projecting radially from said shaft and spaced axaially of said shaft from the bottle finishes, a plurality of primary flash-severing means mounted on and co-rotatable with said carrier means for movement axially of said shaft toward and away from said bottle finishes, means individually to each of said primary flash severing means for moving said flash severing means axially relative to the bottle finishes, means for sequentially and individually moving said primary flash-severing means into and out of severing relation with said bottle flash and additional flash-severing means for initially severing the flash to form an opening communcating with the bottle finish and accommodating entry of the primary flash-severing means into said opening upon movement of said primary means axially of said shaft.
 10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein said primary flash-severing means comprises concentric carrying spindle and actuator rod elements both extending parallel to said shaft and sequentially actuated to (1) insert flash-severing severing elements into said opening and (2) bring said flash-severing elements into cutting engagement with the flash adjacent said opening.
 11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said spindle and said rod carry separate flash-severing anvil and cutter elements which are commonly rotatable relative to the bottle and the flash integral therewith.
 12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein said spindle and said actuator rod are separately displaced by individual cams and cam followers as a consequence of rotation of said carrier means.
 13. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said primary flash-severing means includes a cutter element rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of said shaft and driven by a sun gear co-axial with said shaft, and means carried by one of said plates for securing said bottle against rotation relative to said plates throughout the flash-severing operation.
 14. In a method of severing flash from a bottle, the flash being integral with the finish of the bottle, the steps of placing the bottle in a carrier rotatable about an axis parallel to the axis of the bottle, moving the bottle arcuately about the axis of rotation, during such movement severing a portion only of the flash to form in the flash an opening communicating with the bottle finish, inserting a cutting element through said opening and into the bottle, contacting the cutting element with the flash adjacent said opening to sever the flash from the inside of the bottle outwardly, and finally removing the flash-free bottle from the carrier.
 15. In an apparatus for severing an annular waste portion surrounding an aperture in a plastic bottle or the like, a tubular spindle axially displaceable relative to the bottle, means for displacing said spindle axially, an actuating rod projecting axially of said spindle for reciprocation independently of said spindle, means for axially reciprocating said rod, means for co-rotating said spindle and said rod, and cooperable waste-severing elements carried by said spindle and said rod, displacement of said spindle and actuation of said rod positioning said elements in contact with said waste portion and rotation of said spindle and said rod moving said elements relative to said waste portion to sever the same.
 16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the waste-severing element carried by said spindle projects radially thereof for contacting an exterior surface of said waste pOrtion and the waste-severing element carried by said rod normally is aligned axially with the rod for insertion into the bottle but is actuated to a radially displaced severing position aligned with the spindle-carried element when the rod is actuated axially relative to the spindle.
 17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the rod-carried waste-severing element is pivoted to said spindle through an actuating lever movable upon reciprocation of said rod between an axially aligned position at which said element is insertable into and removable from said bottle and a radially offset position at which the element is in contact with said waste portion.
 18. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the spindle is displaced and the rod is reciprocated by separate cam means, respectively. 